Across the Chasm
by witchcoven
Summary: Taneela Cloudstriker encounters an old crush who has come to Dalaran as a diplomat for the Horde.  Is there any hope for a quel'dorei and sin'dorei?  Rated M for future content.
1. Chapter 1

**** Please note, I do not own World of Warcraft, nor do I claim any ownership of any part of Blizzard's works. **

**This is my first attempt at fanfiction, please review so I know whether it's worth continuing the story I have set up for these two in my mind! For context,t his is set in WotLK, shortly after the events of the Wrathgate.**

It was his scent that alerted her to his presence first. The breezes allowed to sweep over Krasus' Landing brought the scent to her as the regiment of windriders bringing a Horde diplomat to Dalaran touched down on the sparkling tiles. Of all the men she'd been around, none had smelled quite like him. There was a fresh, clean scent to him that no other elf, Sin'dorei or Quel'Dorei, had ever managed to match. Taneela Cloudstriker raised her head to look and see, because it couldn't be him. He would never come to Dalaran, and he certainly couldn't be the diplomat Ranger-General Windrunner had sent her to meet. She stood, the book she'd been perusing slipping from her fingers to drop into the dewed grass on the Landing. It was him.

Taneela looked around, hoping to see one of her fellows of the Silver Covenant that she could pull aside, tell them she was ill. She couldn't face him. Not now, not ever. She felt color rising in her cheeks, and her breath sped up. Running was not a choice. Everyone would notice, and later gossip, about how the Lady Taneela had fled like a doe from a rabid worg if she ran. Desperate, she backed closer to the bushes edging the Landing and began inching towards the stairs. Her breath sped up and her heart pounded as they drew closer. Escape was so close.

"Lady Taneela! The Horde's guest has arrived! " The flight master called to her before she could duck away around the corner that was agonizingly close. Steeling herself for the confrontation, she turned and knelt Thalassian style, with one knee touching the ground. Mustering up her priestly training, which included projecting one's voice to fill a noisy cathedral, her voice rang out over the Landing, "Lord Regent, you are welcome here in Dalaran."

She waited a moment before rising, not letting her eyes meet Lor'Themar Theron's. She was glad that she had not had time to do her wine-red hair like she normally did, but had it down in waves that could hide her face from his. The toes of his Farstrider boots entered her field of vision, and he spoke in that deep, arrogant voice she remembered so well. "Taneela Cloudstriker. We thought you had perished in Menethil's attack on Dalaran."

Startled, Taneela looked up at him. He remembered her. And now he could clearly see her eyes. Her blue eyes. His fel-green ones darkened for a moment, then with the grace of a master Ranger, and the dignity of an uncrowned king, he picked up her hand and bowed over it, placing a kiss on the back. Her hand tingled from the brush of his soft lips, and her stomach flipped at the sight of his white blonde head bowing before her. Once, long ago, she had secretly dreamed of this moment, except it had been him asking for her hand in marriage. Foolish dreams of a foolish girl. "I am pleased to see you are alive and well, Lady. I should send a message to your father immediately."

"You mustn't!" Taneela jerked back, tearing her hand from his. His eyes widened in surprise, and Taneela composed herself quickly, heat rising in her cheeks. "I… I mean, no, but thank you, Lord Regent. I'm sure my family at home in Silvermoon would be less than pleased to find out that I am alive, and … not affiliated with the Sunreavers. Or a mage. If you will follow me."

Lor'Themar gestured to the escort that had come with him, and with the precision training a Ranger-General surely expected, they fell into line behind him. She scooped her book from the grass and clutched it to her chest, tilting her head down so her hair covered her face. All she needed to do was get him to Ranger-General Windrunner and she could hide. There were plenty of little hidey-holes in the Silver Covenant's designated area of Dalaran where she could lose herself until he left. Quickening her pace and taking the stairs down from the Landing two at a time, she knew is eyes were burning a hole in the back of her head. She was required by etiquette to give him a short tour of the City of Mages before presenting him to Rhonin, Ranger General Windrunner, and Grand Magister Sunreaver. Passing the area where incoming and outgoing travelers' animals were stabled, she stopped in front of the Sunreaver's Sanctum.

"In here, Lord Regent, is the area of Dalaran that has been designated for the Horde and any who are aligned with the Sunreavers. Uda, the orc who runs The Filthy Animal, has been notified by the Grand Magister that you and your entourage are to have the finest lodgings she has to offer."

"The Filthy Animal? I'm not to sure I'll like the place."

" I personally don't know what The Filthy Animal is like, Lord Regent, as I am not allowed to enter the Sanctum. However, for Uda to have been allowed to establish the place, she must have met at least some of the standards for lodgings to be found in Dalaran."

The Lord Regent stayed silent for a moment, then flicked his fingers for her to carry on. Heat rose a bit in Taneela's cheeks. She was no servant or low-born commoner to be ordered about, estrangement from her family notwithstanding. Throwing her small shoulders back and tossing her wine-red waves, she somehow managed to look down her nose at attendant standing off Lor'Themar's left shoulder who was at least a good foot taller than her and looked like he could hold his own against a Tauren.

"You there, make sure to speak to Uda at the Filthy Animal. Let her know the honored guest has arrived, and her attendants will be sure to gather your luggage." The man raised a blonde brow at her and glanced at Lor'Themar. With an amused smirk, he nodded at the man, who grumbled something under his breath as he entered the Sunreaver's Sanctum. He then bowed to Taneela, and said in a mocking tone, "Lead on, Lady."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long to get Chapter 2 out! Had quite a bit happen to me, including a very ill family member.**

**I do not own Blizzard or WoW, I just have the hots for a certain Lord Regent and wanted to write a story with him.**

**Anyway, on to Chapter 2!**

Lor'Themar Theron was used to many different reactions from women. Fawning adoration, cold calculation, at odd times disgust, but never had a woman looked at him with as much fear as Taneela Cloudstriker had when he'd mentioned her father. Lord Cloudstriker was a mean son of a bitch now that he'd taken to knocking back a few too many bottles of wine every day, but in his experience, the man wasn't normally enough to elicit that kind of fear from someone. Especially when that someone was the man's own child. His family's estate bordered the Cloudstriker one, and he didn't remember her being this skittish. He frowned to himself slightly, looking down at the top of her sunlit head. He barely remembered anything of her childhood. He'd been busy working his way up the ranks of the Farstriders, determined to make the Theron name great.

He did remember his mother mentioning she felt sorry for the girl. Five older brothers, and her mother dead giving her life. Mother had often mentioned that she'd heard Lord Cloudstriker blamed his daughter for her mother's death, and drove her to be perfect in everything. He nodded distractedly as she pointed out the local wine and cheese shop, owned by yet more members of the famed Trias family from Stormwind. Like rabbits, that family. His thoughts drifted back to Taneela. The girl before him wasn't perfect, no one ever could be, but the day he'd really discovered Taneela Cloudstriker still blazed in his memory.

Of course none of the details were completely clear, but he remembered the cat she'd had in her lap, purring as they sat under the great Thalassian willow together, had been named Pumpkin,, and that he was orange. He remembered the dried tears on her cheeks, and that the purple of her Kirin Tor students' robes had complimented the wine red of her hair, more than it did the orange red that was so prevalent in Quel'Dorei society. Her lips, when he'd kissed her, had been soft, and tinged lightly with salt from her tears.

"Lord Regent?" Her voice broke him from his reverie, bringing him back to the present and an obviously as-yet unanswered question. He clenched his jaw for a second, then relaxed it. "Yes, Lady Taneela?"

"Do you want for me to arrange for you to stay in the Legerdemain Lounge?" She inclined her head to a large building that created a corner on the large open square before them. He could see in through the open doors to the chairs and tables set out for guests to dine at. It didn't look like an inn, but in Dalaran, one could never be certain. "I'm assuming the owner is Quel'Dorei?"

"Sort of?"

He raised a white-blonde eyebrow at her vague answer.

" Arille Azuregaze, the bartender, is Quel'Dorei. His wife, Madame Amisi, is the owner, and she's… human." Taneela blushed and seemed to shrink back when his head snapped around at that.

"Madame Amisi is a very gracious host, and many in Dalaran will go there to dine when they have the spare coin." He watched the enigmatic woman pick at an imaginary spot on the cover of her book, avoiding his gaze, and pondered for a moment. Lor'Themar had to admit, the clean, sparkling white stone walls looked very inviting, and it was much more likely to meet his expectations than an inn owned by an orc. At the very least, he was more likely to have real sheets, and not animal pelts on his bed. He nodded to her, and she ducked in the open latticework doorway.

She called out, and a dark skinned human woman in rather skimpy robes came into view and hugged Taneela warmly. Taneela said something he didn't catch, and the woman looked at him standing out in the lane. Frenzied whispering, and then the woman and Taneela came out to him.

" Lord Regent, may I introduce you to Madame Amisi Azuregaze, proprietor of the Legerdemain Lounge." The dark skinned woman bowed low to him, and then straightened, sticking out her hand in the human gesture of greeting. Lor'Themar felt a bit perturbed as he took Amisi's hand and shook it. What an odd custom.

"Charmed, Madame Azuregaze."

"You honor the Legerdemain, Lord Regent. If you will follow me, I will show you the suite you will be occupying," Madame Amisi nodded to Taneela, "Lady, if you could let Ari know that our guest's tab should be billed directly to the Citadel?"

Taneela nodded, and disappeared into the shadows of the Lounge again. He was left staring somewhat awkwardly at Amisi, then figured that she should be treated with a Thalassian gentleman's manners. Lor'Themar offered his arm to the lady, and murmured, "If you would be so kind, Madame."

Her dark cheeks flushed prettily, and she placed her hand in the crook of his arm. After they entered, she paused for a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the darker interior of the inn, then guided him up a set of stairs. She paused for a moment to pet a sleeping cat on a ledge by the stairwell, who rolled over onto his back, purring in his sleep. On the top floor, Amisi stopped and took a large ring of keys from a pocket he swore couldn't be concealed by her robe, and unlocked one of the two large oaken doors that opened into the hallway.

The room was nice and spacious, with clean tiled floors. Rich, plush rugs covered the tile to protect bare feet from the chill of the stone. The beds were well appointed, and there was a homey table with two chairs by a fireplace. Much better than he was expecting, to be honest.

"Lord Regent, this is your suite. You have a large bed, and a smaller if you decide to have one of your guards or a com…companion join you." Ah, she knew Thalassian etiquette, most likely her husband's doing.

"The Violet Citadel is paying for the room, and we will bring your meals in here if you don't wish to dine downstairs. You've missed the midday meal, but tonight's menu is mead basted caribou with Crystalsong carrots in an herb reduction, and for dessert, candied snowplums with a tundra berry compote. We have an herb salad if you wish, and to drink, caraway burnwine, honeymead, or snowplum brandy. Wine can be obtained from One More Glass, just let me know and I will speak to Christi Stockton to have a cask of Dalaran Red or White brought here for you. If you wish for an unleaded beverage, we have honeymint tea, seal whey, or sweetened goat's milk"

Lor'Themar felt his stomach growl, a reminder that all he'd had since breaking his fast this morning in Venomspite was a few small mouthfuls of salted venison, and a poor wine of dubious vintage. "Madame, you are far to kind, and I believe I may eat myself to death at your table, if the food is as good as the description sounds."

Amisi smirked at him, and said "We're not considered the finest lounge in Dalaran for nothing. Isirami Fairwind, who runs the Silver Covenant's inn for the Alliance, keeps threatening to steal my cooks. She doesn't realize that it's my taskmistress ways that keep us on top. I figured it works with my husband, why not my inn?" She snapped her hand through the air like she was cracking a whip, and for the first time since news of the incident at the Wrathgate had been dropped on his lap, he laughed out loud.

Taneela heard Lor'Themar's laughter even in the stairwell as she ascended to fetch him. The sound shivered across her skin, and made her heart clench. _Anar'alah, _it had been well over 10 years since she'd last heard that laugh. She paused for a moment, then let out a deep breath. The past was the past, there was no bringing it back. Whatever dreams she'd harbored about the Lord Regent before the destruction of their homeland, they were too far separated now. She was Quel'Dorei, he was Sin'Dorei. Nothing could change that, nothing could bridge that chasm.


End file.
